Why Does My Website Work for Other People but Not Me?

If a website works for someone else but not for you, the difference is useful evidence. It suggests the problem may depend on a browser, device, network, account or delivery route. It does not prove that the website itself is completely healthy.

The quickest sensible approach is a controlled comparison: change one condition at a time and record the outcome. Avoid changing DNS, deleting settings and restarting everything together.

Write down the exact symptom

“Not working” might mean a blank page, a connection timeout, an old version, a certificate warning or a failed login. Each points towards a different investigation.

Record the full URL and error wording. Note whether other websites work, whether the problem affects every page and whether you are signed in.

If the issue is simply old WordPress content, use the changes-not-showing guide. That is a different problem from an address that cannot be reached at all.

Compare browser conditions

Try the same public URL in a private window and another supported browser. Do not submit a payment or booking repeatedly during the comparison.

If a private window works, consider differences in session data, extensions and cache. That outcome is a clue, not proof of one specific cause.

Mozilla’s connection troubleshooting guidance separates situations such as one failing browser, all browsers failing and only certain websites failing. Use that distinction to make your report precise.

Compare device and network

Test another device on the same network, then an ordinary alternative connection such as mobile data if available.

Result	Useful next investigation
One browser fails	Browser settings, extension or session differences
All devices on one network fail	Network, resolver or access-policy differences
One account fails	Account permissions or authentication
Everyone tested fails	Website or provider incident

These are investigative directions, not certain diagnoses. A CDN or firewall can also treat requests differently.

Never disable organisational security software or bypass an employer’s network policy to force access. Ask the responsible administrator to investigate.

Understand the role of DNS

DNS helps translate a website name into the address of the service that answers it. Different networks may temporarily use different cached answers after a change, but “DNS propagation” should not become an explanation for every failure.

Our DNS guide explains the components. Give the maintainer the affected hostname and recent change history so they can compare actual answers.

Do not replace every DNS record with instructions found for an unrelated provider. That can break email and other services that were working.

Preserve evidence before clearing data

If clearing site-specific data is appropriate, first note what may be lost, including login state or unfinished local work. Take a screenshot of the original symptom.

For a fictional shop owner, the useful report might be: “The homepage loads on mobile data and on a colleague’s laptop, but not in my usual browser. A private window works. The problem started this morning.”

That report narrows the investigation without pretending to establish the cause.

Confirm the fix under the original conditions

Return to the original browser, device and network after the change. Test the task that originally failed, not only the homepage.

Keep a brief record of the action and outcome. If the issue is intermittent, continue collecting timestamps rather than claiming permanent recovery after one refresh.

For a broader outage returning a server error, use the 502 and 503 guide. The goal is to identify the failing boundary before changing the system.

Thinking about your own rebuild?

Tell us about your business, your current website and what you would like to improve. We will help you work out the next step.

Tell us about your project↗

• Reliability
• Small business